Barry Island
January 19th, 2007
Barry Island (Welsh: Ynys y Barri) is a district and peninsula forming part of the town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
The peninsula was an island until the 1880s when it was linked to the mainland as the town of Barry expanded. This was partly due to the opening of Barry Dock by the Barry Railway Company. Established by David Davies the docks now link up the gap which used to form barry island. On Barry Docks, the original dock offices are now used by the county council. The dock offices themselves are one of just a handful of buildings in the world classed as calendar buildings. The dock offices has four grand fire places and clocks on its roof, to represent the four seasons, 52 rooms for every week of the year and a grand 365 windows. There is a railway station still to access the island at Barry Docks, there is also a heritage rail station which still homes original refurbished steam passenger trains. The rail is always open to the public and anually holds events involving a large steam engine replica of thomas the tank engine.
Barry Island is now known for its beach and Barry Island Pleasure Park. The pleasure park has over 50 rides and attractions, for all ages including the Log Flume, Viper Ride, Pirate Ship, Galloping Horses and many others. Open every day during the Summer Season, and weekends and certain weekdays throughout the year. Entrance to the park is free, and ride tickets are available from ticket booths at the park.
The island used to house a Bustling Holiday camp, which was used as for filming scenes in the “Shangri-La” holiday camp from the Doctor Who serial Delta and the Bannermen. The camp has since been dismantled due to health and safety problems. The site redeveloped for housing, but the island was once again used for location shooting in the 2005 series episodes The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances, standing in for a bomb site in 1941 London.
Barry also has its own castle near Romily Park.
The railway station is the home of both the national services of Arriva Trains Wales, as well as the preserved Vale of Glamorgan Railway. In the 1970s and 1980s Barry was home to hundreds of British Rail steam locomotives that were being scrapped. Many were sold to preservation societies, but in the late 1980s most were destroyed.
The island itself has a railway station, Barry Island railway station, and serves as one of the termini on the Vale of Glamorgan Line.
Entry Filed under: Things to do in Glamorgan, Places to visit in Glamorgan
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